Umbrella



J. C. WlTTY Sept. 8, 1953 UMBRELLA Filed June 28, 1.950

INVENTOR. JAMES c. WITTY 9M ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 8, 1953 UMBRELLA James O. Witty, Troy, Ohi

Sunshade Company,

of Ohio 0, assignor to The Troy Troy, hio,'a corporation Application June 28, 1950, Serial No. 170,819 1 Claim. (01. 135-20) This invention relates to umbrellas, and more particularly to umbrellas of comparatively large size such as beach or garden umbrellas or the like.

Considerable difficulty is sometimes encountered in raising and collapsing large umbrellas owing to the substantial amount of force required to produce the tension in the ribs for holding the canopy properly in use. It is frequently impossible, particularly for a woman or child, to raise or lower the canopy of such an umbrella while the standard is erect, since only by inverting the standard and pressing against the ground or some other abutment can sumcient force be developed to overcome the rib tension. It is also diflicult to collapse the umbrella top, and this operation is attended by considerable possibility of pinching the fingers or otherwise suffering discomfort. Also another difiiculty in raising and lowering a conventional beach or garden umbrella is that the large radius of the canopy requires the force on the part of the user to be exerted at a very awkward angle and frequently when off balance.

The present invention overcomes these well known difilculties and inconveniences of the conventional beach umbrella structure by providing an umbrella which can be conveniently erected when the standard is upright and in which'the main force required for erection is exerteddownwardly along the standard. This simple and easy operation is obtained by providing an axially movable extension on the upper end of the standard and securing the top crown to this extension instead of to the standard. With this construction, when the canopy is to be erected and the runner is moved to its raised position in the usual way, the extension and top crown move with respect to the standardto an upper position in which the canopy is fully are undersubstantially no tension. Erection of the top is then completed by pulling down on the extension, as by means of a suitable cord or chain, to develop the proper tension in the ribs, and the extension is then retained in this lower position for use of the umbrella.

It will be seen that with this construction and operation, the standard can readily be set in the ground in upright position after the runner has been raised, which requires comparatively little force, but while the extension is still in its upper position and the ribs are not under tension. Movement of the extension to its lower position can then be efiected by pulling directly downwardly from a convenient position below the canopy and adjacent the standard, which is conextended but the ribs an umbrella construction of the tion as to maintain the 2 siderably more comfortable for the user and also may be done without the dangers of pinched fingers or the like commonly encountered with the usual construction. Collapsing of the umbrella is equally simple and convenient, it being necessary merely first to release the extension releasing tension in the ribs, after which the runner is released and retracted in the usual way.

It is one of the principal objects of the present invention to provide an umbrella construction umbrella is similarly accomplished by first pulling downwardly on a movable member.

Another object of the invention is to provide such an umbrella construction which does not tional umbrellas.

It is also an object of the invention to provide above type in which the canopy is simple and easy to raise or collapse while the standard is in an upright position and in which the force required for raising and collapsing the top is exerted in such direcstandard upright.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawing and the appended claim.

In the drawing- Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation, partly broken away, illustrating an umbrella construction in accordance with the invention and shown in erected position;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view on an enlarged scale showing the structure and operation of the umbrella frame;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view at right angles to Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a View similar relation of the parts in the umbrella top.

In the drawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention, the standard Iii to Fig. 3 showing the the collapsed position of intfull lines :irr- Fig: 2';

tube pointed at H for inand carrying a canopy I2 13 and braces H of steel The runner I is and a spring catch 5 on the standard for raised poscoped within the upper end of the standard H3, m

and the top crown 22 is secured to the upper end of this extension instead of to the standard, and thus connects the ends or the ribs to the extension 20. The extensiom2mis prowidediwfithl an elongated axial slot 24 whichreceWesemstbp;

pin or screw 25 in the standard, and this slot and pin cooperate to establish uppertandildwerrlimit. positions for the extension with respect to the standard. A chain 26 is secured by a boltl rts the upper end of the extension 20 and hangs 20 downwardly: therefrom; Azh'andlee 3.01provided; with. at hook 3+ is: secured ;to. the; lower.- endoi; this: chain. and:azhoiez33e-forereceiving the .hooh-z is provided in a1 siderotthez standard: c

When: it, :is: desired; to: erect-.zthissumbrella. the.

runner I5; is: first moved. to its raised position above thezstopi-spring 16: With the mock-:34 1 dis-- engaged;from ztheastandardg the. extension: 23-;will beafreeatoimove' to itsg upper limit position shown andi in: this; relative; positionxot;theazparts;.thez canopyslhwill be substa tially fully expanded: but -:the ribs :l 3swillbe under noappreciableztensi'on; Thusrthisrmovement of; then runner :is'; accomplishedzwith-z com-par ativelylittle force. Thereafter;.therhandlefifi iszgraspedi 35 and.;pulled:downwardly to'imove the extensionim similarly: downwar dly through :chain- 2 6. and thus,- to develop: the: desired-tension in: therribs' l3: Fig; 2 Sh0WS'{ iI1 dotted: 1111852 the :positions; of, the: extension 2 lisandiribsa l 3*;in;the.:lowerdimit 11051-1- 40 tion of: thee extension; .and:.=the=g:par,ts iarerheld in this: positionibyengagingthezhoold:31 i in the :hole;

33 'as also: showntxim dotted LlinesjmFig;

The standard lu imy'ibeiset insthezgroundat any;desired;stagesimtheierectiorrotithenmbrella; but 1 it will usually" be; found: mostgconvenient to. (10180261111812bBfUIESEOIICSIftGI' thegrunner ll'r hasbeen raised but :beforeecompleting erection ioftthez top. Then the final step of movingdhesextensiont to: its lower,- positionfls efiected'byrpulling direotly downwardly :orr themandle:30xandmhaim26; and; it is thus not "necessarysto ,exert amt'counterforceor- OthBIWiSBIhOld thezstandardzsince: this downs wardpull will have: no; effect on) the: standardother than: to:.set it: more firmly: in the ground. Collapsingof' thesumbrellagtop. canisimilar-ly be= effectedsimply and' easily-whi1e: -the--standardris upright; it'being'necessary merelyg'toipull down sufii'ciently: onithezhandlfilldto :release; the books 3! and permit the extension 20 to move to its released upper position under the releasing tension in the ribs. In fact, with the hook 3| formed as shown of generally S-shape, it is merely necessary to pivot the handle 30 about the outer loop of the 8 against the standard to efiect withdrawal of the hook from the hole 33.

lt willl accordingly beeseemthattthis umbrella construction has outstanding advantagespf simplicity and ease in use. Erection and collapsing ofithe umbrella top are easily effected with comparatively little efiort while the standard is upright, and at the same time the effort which is reduiredfisssotdirectedas to avoid uncomfortable ors-awkwardimovements or position on the part of the user. Also; this umbrella construction is considerably easierrto handle in the wind such as is often encountered on a beach, since if desired the standard can be firmly set in the ground before the top is raised at all, and the same is true onthepperationiofdoweringthetop.

Whilasthes form .of; apparatus herein; described; constitutesamreferredt embodiment of-.the=inven.-.-- tion, it is to be understood that the invention is". not-dimited;to .thismrecise form of apparatus,arrd that; changes -.may be made. therein without de. partingjrom. the; scope :of the invention which; is: defined'in the appended claim.-

What is: claimed. is

An-umbrella structure-for beachand garden umbrellas? an'dsthe like.- to facilitate. raising. and. collapsing; of the' top, thereof while :the: umbrellas is-:erect,. comprising aehollow standard; an extension-.mountedior telescoping movement with inithe upperrend of saidrstan'dard;cooperating pinzand slot means onsaidz-standar'd andsaidextension .for; guiding and limiting the relative telescopingzmovement thereof; .a top including a canopy randiribsscarried; by:the upper endiof said extension b'raceszattached to. said ,ribs. a runner: connectediwi'tltsaid 'bracesand slidablewupwardly" omsaid; standard;belowrsaidzextension-1to effect: expansion of: said:top:andrmovementof said :top and.f.extensiorr..to:-theruppermost .position thereof form-irrimizmgethe nevelopmentaof :tension said ribs; means dependingriromi. said extension for pullingitheasaine:-downwardlyto:develop tension. in said-:ribs, and means: i or releasablis securing saididependingzmeansitotsaid: standard Ztmretain saidttopmith'said; rib's-undertension;

References 56113851111 the: file: of. this.-: patent UNITED SIitTlT-S PATENTS 

